VOLUNTEER REVIEW.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 5357, 16 April 1879, Page 2

VOLUNTEER REVIEW.

[By Special Wire.] INVEROARQILL, April 15. The Volunteer review and sham fight to-day were on the whole very successful. The morning was threatening, but cleared up by 8 o'clock, and the sun shone out in a manner that surprised the northern visitors ; but before the review was over a couple of heavy showers dispersed the spectators, and gave everyone on the ground a good wetting. At an early hour the town was enlivened by the bands playing in the streets, and the Volcnteers mustering to embark for the scene of operations. Nos. 2 and 3 battalions started from the railway station at 8.15, and a quarter of an hour afterwards a train conveying the visitors to the ground left the station. On arriving the battalions were put through several movements and they were all marched to their positions in the sham fight. The ground was situated about 12 miles from Invercargill, on the northern line of the railway, at a farm called Braiaholme. The ground was pretty level ; some gorse hedges growing made shelter to both attacking forces and the skirmishers, and to the defenders. The place to be defended was a clump bush coming out to a point, on the edge of which were stationed 3 six-pounders. The attacking force consisted of No. 2 battalion (Otago corps), under Major Wales, and No. 3 battalion (Canterbury and Southland companies) under Major Lean. The defence was taken by No. 1 battalion (Artillery and Naval companies) under Captain Hill Jack. The field batteries with the attacking force were under Captains Craig and Hammersly. The following shows the strength of the companies : — Dunedin City Guards : Captain Wilson, Lieut. M'Gregor, 1 bugler, 3 sergeants, 38 rank and file, and band, comprising 26 bandsmen. North Dunedin Rifles: Captain Reeves, Lieut. Mollock, Sub-Lieut. Allen, 4 sergeants, and 40 rank and file. Waikau Rifles, 2 companies : Captain Reed, Lieuts. Gardner and Talford, Sub-Lieuts. Hague and Matthews, 2 buglers, 5 sergeants, 40 rank and file. Bruce and Portobello | Rifles : These companies fell in together under Captain Scott, of the former, with Lieuts. Read and Kerr, 4 sergeants, 40 raak and file. Dunedin Rifle Brigade : Captain Smith, Lieuts. Grant and Jacobs, I senior petty officer, and 50 gunners. Port Chalmers Naval Brigade: Captain Goldie, Lieuts. Thomson and Isbister, 3 petty officers, and 24 gunners. Clutha ßifles: Acting-Captain Steward, Lieuts. Watt and Hogg, 2 sergeants, and 28 rank and file. Kaiapoi Rifles : Lieut. Perrin, 1 sergeant, and 19 rank and file. East Taieri Rifles: Captain Andrews, Lieuts. Smith and Brown, 3 sergeants, and 32 rank and file. Waikato Rifles : Lieut. Ancell, 2 sergeants, 12 rank and file. Dunedin Artillery : Captain A. Hill Jack, Lieuts. Muir and Lambert, 1 sergeant-major, 2 sergeants, and 58 rank and file. Cromwell Rifles : Captain Brown, Lieuts. Jolly and Clough, 4 sergeants, and 13 rank and file. Queenstown Rifles : Captain Erchardt, Lieut. Boyne, 3 sergeants, and 35 rank and file; band, Bandmaster M'Kerrow and 13 bandsmen. Temuka Rifles: Captain Young, Lieut. Findlay, and White, 2 sergeants, 23 rank and file. Arrow Rifles: Captain Jenkins, Lieut. Healey, 3 sergeants, and 16 rank and file. Christchurch City Guards: Captain Hawkes, Lieut. Woolfe, 3 sergeants, 1 bugler, 44 rank and file. Haniden Rifles : Captain Marcott, Lieuts. Eague and Young, 3 sergeants, and 17 rank and file. Christchurch Engineers : SergeantMajor Manning, 3 sergeants, 23 rank and file. Thnaru Artillery, C. Battery: Captain Hammersley, Lieut. Wardle, 3 sergeants, and 24 rank and file. Ohristchurch Artillery: Sergeant Armour, 3 sergeants, 18 rank and file. Otepopo Rifles: Captain Dickie, Lieut. Piere, Sub-Lieut. M'Kay, 4 sergeants and 24 rank and file. Riverton Rifles: Captain Hirst, Sub-Lieut. Henderson, and 17 rank and file. Invercargill Artillery, C. Battery : Captain Feldwick, Sub-Lieut. Fergusson, 3 sergeants, 23 rank and file. Invercargill Artillery, G. Battery: Captain Cuthbertson, Lieut. Eingswell, Sub-Lieut, Lock, 4 sergeants, 45 rank and file. Invercargill Rifles: Captain Heywood, Lieut. Handrott, Sub-Lieut. Dawson, 8 sergeants, and 43 rank and file. Invercargill Cadets, Captain Thomson, Lieuts. Kingland and. Cuthbertson, 4 sergeants, and 35 rank and file. Kaiapoi Drum and Fife Band : 9 performers. After the parties had taken their positions, the attack was opened by Major Lean's battalions, their fire boing smartly returned by the Naval Brigade. Major Wales then advanced aud opened fire. At this stage the public pressed the troops so much that it is impossible to describe how the affair went on. Whatever was the plan of attack and defence (if plan there was), it was scarcely carried out, One incident

of the attack wi]l|show this. The attacking force had orders not to get oloser to' the defending force than 35 yards, but notwMstanding this the Ohristchurch City Gfujrds pushed forward, and by a clever piece of manoeuvering on the part of the Naval Brigade they -were taken prisoners. As they were being marched into the bush they broke away from the guard and joined the ranks of their comrades. As another instance, the Rivertou, Bruce, and East Taieri Rifles came up to defend the position under shelter of the gorse hedge, and fired several volleys without eliciting a reply. They then retired, but being brought up a second time they were received by a sharp fire. The attack was supposed to have been repulsed, and the troops were marched back to the review ground, where they went through a number of evolutions. In the march past the Dunedin Artillery and the Dunedin Navals bore off the palm for steadiness, closely followed by the Chaistchurch Rifles and the Christchurch Engineers. The evolutions occupied nearly three hours. Before the close of the review the rain i came down in torrents, and the Volunteers got thoroughly drenched, but most of the spectators, numbering about 3000, took shelter in the railway.carriages. ,At the close of the review Brigadier Stavely called the officers to the front, and thanked them, saying he h&d the authority of an old soldier, Major Withers, that the whole affair was creditable to the Volunteers, and would compare with anything he had seen. He then announced that the brigade mess would take place at 9.30 p.m., and that a special train would leave at 12.30, conveying the Dunedin and Christchurch Volunteers. The railway arrangements were very good, and the whole force seemed delighted with their outing.